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Topic: portland to the coast (Read 1061 times)

I will be getting off amtrak in Portland, then will need to get over to the coast before cycling down to San Fran. I see that there are several routes to the coast, but I know nothing about them. Any opinions as to the best route for cycling west to the coast?

Last summer I rode from Portland to the coast along hwy 30. It was a pretty good ride. The road has a good shoulder so the traffic wasn't an issue. I stopped in Clatskanie and spent 1 night in a hotel. Ran into a group of cyclists that were doing a supported ride on the Lewis and Clark route. There are several routes that get you to the coast but I chose this one since it seemed to have the most services along the way.

I found Hwy 30 to have less traffic than the coast road. There may be other routes that have less traffic but it does have plenty of areas to stop and grab a bite or a drink. If you like little traffic and few services then there are a couple of other ways to the coast. You will definitely have to camp.

If you don't want to ride to the coast you can take a shuttle from the Amtrak Station to Tillamook. It cost $10 (I think) and puts you into downtown Tillamook. The shuttle has a bike rack on the front and a nice size luggage compartment in the back. It sure beats enduring all the traffic (just like a freeway) from Astoria. If I were to do it again I would take the shuttle.

And to repeat what I said on the other relevant thread:I HIGHLY recommend the Hillsboro-Astoria route to the Coast. Hillsboro is a western suburb or Portland that can be reached by MAX light rail. It's a 100 mile ride, low traffic, beautiful scenery!http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?&a=316549&c=36638http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?&a=316550&c=36638It uses either low-traffic country roads and highways, and also a paved off-road path. Services are sparse, so you need to supply up in Hillsboro (at the start), Banks, or Vernonia. Small stores with limited hours in Birkenfeld and Olney. There's a couple climbs, but nothing monstrous. And a few camping options so you can break it into two days. It's the way to go if you want to avoid high traffic on US 30 or 26.